We all have passions, from knitting to human rights we all have something we love and want to pursue in our lives. But what do you do when you aren’t sure about what passion you should chase? Just simply searching for something to like, is like running on a hamster wheel. Instead, you should actively seek out what gives you a feeling of freedom and expression.
First, consider your why
Thinking about your why is life is a good place to start. While going out and experiencing different activities can help to lead to finding your passion, knowing your why and then narrowing down activities related to finding your why is a good place to start. For example, do you have a particular age group you like to work with? Do you enjoy spending time with children, and enjoy art? If this were the case, have you ever thought of teaching art classes to children?
Sometimes finding your why can be as simple as examining what people often ask your opinion or advice on. But, to take it a step further you ask yourself a few questions to figure out your why. Start with what gives you a feeling of exhilaration. What excites you and motivates you. Nothing is off the table here. If it is an activity or job prospect that makes you feel good and comes with a sense of purpose, then examine it more.
The next question can be what your strengths are. Knowing what your strengths are is one thing, but knowing how to use them and apply them is another asset to discovering your why. Knowing what your strengths are and what activities you can apply them to can help to open new opportunities that you might want to pursue.
Exploration and Planning
With these tools in mind – your strengths and what makes you light up – put them together and narrow down activities and/or careers that might inspire you to examine. When starting, begin by getting your feet wet. Volunteer in short-term obligations, network, conduct informational interviews, and talk to industry professionals who might be able to give you some insight into what you are exploring.
One major tip that can work is to create a mind map. A mind map can be a great way to do a brain dump of all your ideas, strengths, and experiences. You can write out what did and didn’t work. What you enjoyed and didn’t enjoy and write out activities that excited you. Brain dumps and mind maps are also a great way to see where the dots connect between activities and where you might be able to fill in the gaps.
Once you have made your connections, experienced some of what you are interested in, and connected the dots you can begin to move into activities that had the most impact on you. Things to think about in your exploration are:
- What did I enjoy the most?
- Where do I feel I can learn and grow?
- What skills, knowledge, and attributes did I contribute to these experiences?
- What feedback did I receive from others that can help me guide my decision?
Answering these questions, while concentrating on your exploration can help you to come up with ideas to expand your purpose search.
In conclusion, it is important to remember that often in our lives we will switch careers a few times during our professional lives. Starting in one career and then moving to another as the course of your life changes is completely normal. The important aspect to consider is that you need to start somewhere that makes you excited, and then gradually grow to your goal.
Bliss + You 